It takes an awful lot of courage for the soldier to admit that he’s finally had enough. The military is built around seemingly burying the natural urge for self-preservation. Nearly everyone tries to hide from those around them just how scared they are. That’s why a wise man said, “Everyone gets scared, it’s what you do about it that counts”. Some people end up more scared of being regarded by their peers as a coward than they are of being killed or badly injured. That’s why I liked Canadian special service force veteran Maurice White, who died earlier this month, so much. After serving in Italy during the Second World War with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment young Maurice went on to see action with the joint US-Canadian Special Service Force, immortalised by Hollywood in 1968 as The Devils Brigade. When the force was disbanded in 1944, White decided he’d seen enough frontline action. He opted to become a military policeman, a cushier number than a commando or infantryman. Maurice was a brave man, in more ways than one.
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